It Does Rain in Seattle

We found out that it does rain in Seattle. We visited last year in July for like a week and it didn't rain once! Upon arriving this time it didn't take but 30 minutes for us to see our first sign of rain. It rained most of the time we were up there, but nothing too bad. It only rained hard one time for like 5 minutes, the rest was a small drizzle.
My mom didn't look as bad as she made it sound like she was going to look. I was expecting to see a monster from the way she made herself seem. She was the same ole (not old) mom! It simply looked like she shaved her head to me. The dumb chemo is tough on nails as well as hair, so just those two things were the only thing that seemed different. Of course the surgery itself was the most obvious, her womanhood was gone (as she liked to put it.) She refered to herself as a man more than a few times while we were there! So there you have it folks, boobs make a woman a woman!
One piece of bad news that hit me the hardest was the fact that the doctors supposedly found traces of the cancer in the tissues that were removed from the breasts. I say supposedly because I hate doctors and I won't believe it! She is going to be cancer free and after her 6 weeks to two months of radiation, she is going to be cancer free. She is going to be healthy and return to her normal life.
We caught her up on a few movies that she hadn't seen. We rented Transformers 2, The Proposal, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Twilight, and of course (I Love You Man!) All good renters if you haven't seen, even the Ghost of Girlfriend's past. There were two that we rented that weren't that great. Taking of Pelham 123 wasn't that good at all, John Travolta was pretty dang good in it, but the movie itself Not! Then we rented Year One, it was dumb, but I expected that, however there were some very funny parts in the movie. The way that one kid delivers his lines cracks me up. He was also in Superbad and Juno? I can't ever remember his name, but he is hilarious. Jack Black was his normal self, but he is funny in a Chris Farley sort of way.
So, I have never seen a live Racoon! Not even in a zoo! Well, my mom has had these racoons that come to her house in the night and eat dog and cat food that she has on the porch. They have been coming for the past three to four months every nightl! I was stoked! Ready to see my first racoons had me going. I didn't get to stay up the first night very late because I had almost been awake for 24 straight hours after working the night before. The next night I was rested and ready, or so I thought! I don't know if it was the traveling or the Seattle air, but I couldn't stay awake past midnight. I retired to bed after waiting by the window like a puppy in a pet store for an hour in a half. I did see a possum! My mom chased it off, so that little enjoyment was gone after 30 seconds or so. It was the first time I ever saw a possum as well. They aren't too ugly, just their rat like tail is the only thing that is ugly about them. I guess some 20 minutes or so after I went to bed my mom tried to knock on the bedroom door to wake me and let me know that there was one racoon on the porch! I had gone to sleep with my IPod in my ears and didn't hear her, so I missed him. She said he was the only on that came that night and he was very skiddish! I don't care if he was running from gnats, I wanted to see him. The next night our friend the possum showed up again, and Sheri wanted me to wake her so that she could see him because she had never seen a possum either. No signs of racoons though? That left one last night to see them. I was tired again like all nights we were there, but I stayed up as long as I could and never saw my racoon! I never get tired in our home town like I did in Seattle? If it were here I would have been able to stay up until 2:00am easily and then probably struggle to fall asleep after that? However, in Seattle it was another story. I was tired and falling asleep waiting on the couch peering out the window long before midnight? It might be nice to live in Seattle for that reason alone (being able to fall asleep,) however even after sleeping I didn't wake up rejuvenated? I was pretty much tired the whole time we were down there.
Another thing that sucked was the fact that my mom's house was freezing! I need to sleep in warmth or I get sick. If I breathe in cold air while I am sleeping I am sick the very next morning. That is what happened too. I was sick the very next morning and have been sick since. So, I have been sick about a week now. It is stupid how my body is when it comes to breathing cold air at night.
The first night was the coldest, the next morning there was actually a layer of ice on my mom's car windsheild. We woke early and drove to a diner, Ruby's Diner. I suggested IHOP just because it was early and I didn't want to wake my mom. We snuck out, but of course woke my mom accidentally as we were leaving. I don't know if she was able to get back to sleep. We couldn't find an IHOP, but Sheri luckily spotted this diner! It was a way cool place. Setup 60's style and was very clean. The food wasn't that great, but everything else was way better than an IHOP. There were two toy trains that were chugging along on suspended tracks above the booths. I showed Triton both sets and as we were sitting down, the train that was on the big track fell! It landed on an empty booth accross the restaraunt from us, which is probably lucky for the owners. That is a lawsuit waiting to happen! I don't know what caused it, but the middle portion of the train (which only had an engine, one box car and then the caboose) simply fell! The engine raced on by itself at a much faster pace, but soon found itself stuck when it caught up to the stranded caboose standing alone on the track. Nobody was sitting in that booth, so obviously nobody was hurt. What are the odds? Would have been way wicked if it did land on one of us or even Triton! I would have raised a big rukus if it would have hit Sheri or Triton, but I think I would have only demanded free breakfast if it were to have landed on me? I am not a person who believes in suing a company just to get money, but if it would have struck Sheri or Triton on the head I would have had to pursue some sort of legal council. It is sad that more places don't put forth the effort in their decore as this place, but then again they might be thinking twice about leaving their train tracks suspended above customer seating areas!
That was our little Seattle trip in a couple of paragraphs. My mom didn't want us to leave and the day before our departure up to the second we left the car to go into the airport my mom kept saying "you don't need to leave!" I felt bad that we weren't able to stay longer and of course the time just flew by when we were there! It was really great to see my mom. I finally told her that it was the racoon's fault that we were leaving. They were there all the time except when I wanted to see them! I hope that my mom doesn't think that we were bored. I wasn't bored at all. Triton might have been bored if we didn't buy him some hot wheels. I forgot his power cord to his DVD player, so he had to watch movies on my mom's computer. I did feel way bad about keeping my mom up waiting for the racoons. She sleeps in the living room because her bed hurts her back. So, I kept her up waiting for the elusive racoons and then Triton would get up early and wake her up! So, I am so sorry for that mom! She kept saying that last day as well "you don't have to go, you can stay here another couple of weeks." Not sure if she wanted us to stay longer or was saying that she could only stand us for another 2 weeks period? I will miss you mom and hope to visit next summer.
Sheri and I went with her sister Crystal and Sheri's mom to see "New Moon" yesterday after I got off work. It was pretty good. I didn't like the book, it was the only one in the series that I didn't really like all that much. The movie moved faster than the book and only left out a few things that could have been shown, but weren't vital. Thus in my opinion the movie was better than the book. Everyone knows that I am a film buff over books anyway, but I have to agree that books can have more detail into a person's thoughts. Whereas a movie has a ton more detail in locations and visual stimulation. I did like the book better as far as Twilight and I imagine that the books from here on out will also be better, but as far as the second installment I have to go with movie!

Tomorrow

My mom had her surgery this last Tuesday and she is/has been in mega-pain. She called me yesterday which was nice because I hadn't heard from her since a couple of days after her surgery. I just wanted to of course see how she was doing, but she wasn't in the mood to talk because of all the pain. Even yesterday it started out sounding like she didn't want to talk, but I think I cheered her up a bit. At least I hope I did.
This last Thursday Sheri, Triton and I went and had lunch at the Olive Garden. I don't usually like to go there because it is mega busy, plus I don't really think that their food is all that special. This time was actually pretty dang good! I was surprised and wouldn't mind going there more if in fact every meal was as good as this one was. Funny story though while we were there eating. I texted my mom's friend Frank (who has been helping take care of my mom throughout this whole endeavor) and told him we were at lunch at the Olive Garden and wanted to know if he wanted us to bring him anything. He called me instantly and asked if we were in Seattle. I just laughed and informed him that we were still in our home town, no where near Seattle. Like I would go to the Olive Garden before first seeing my mom. It was pretty funny, he is a good guy who can take a joke. Not sure if he called because he was excited that we might be there or if he did indeed want Olive Garden?
Tomorrow we get on a plane and head north to Seattle. I am hoping that Triton will be tired enough to sleep on the plane. We are flying during his normal napping hours, so there is hope. Triton is actually the kind of toddler that probably doesn't need to nap during the day. He can go and go if he is busy and has something to do. When we went to an amusement park a few months ago Triton was up from 7:30 in the morning until about 10:00 at night. He feel asleep in the car on the way to the hotel for like 20 minutes and then was up for at least another hour after that! Crazy boy can go. I can't wait to see my mom, to let her know that I am sorry for not being there for her during the most troublesome time in her life. Well, at least I would imagine that it would be the most hardest time of her life, but not sure how raising me was on her? I love you mom and will see you tomorrow. Assuming the plane doesn't crash!
So, movies that are worth watching and renting if you didn't go to the theater to see them are? None. I was told by a few people that GI Joe was good, but I didn't catch on to the appeal? Seeing one of the Wayan brothers try to act like a tough guy just wasn't believable at all! Disney/Pixar's new release of "Up" wasn't that good either! It was boring and even Triton who loves Pixar movies became bored with it his first time through. Usually he will watch a new animated movie the whole way through if we watch it with him on the normal television and not his portable DVD player. If you don't mind some crude humor "The Ugly Truth" had a few moments that were hilarious. It was just a bit too predictable to be anything other than slightly above mediocre. I haven't had a chance to rent "The Taking of Pelham 123", but I can tell you to rent that over "Up" and "GI Joe!" I had no idea that John Travolta and his wife lost their 16 year old son to autism until I read it the other day in USA Today. I couldn't imagine that pain, and hope that they can be comforted as time passes by knowing that he is in a better place. I feel for them because I couldn't imagine losing my little Triton. Even though there are times that I want to kill him myself, I couldn't imagine him not being here. Same thing with the old ball and chain (Sheri), need to kill her sometimes just because, but couldn't imagine life without her either. I love you both Sheri and Triton! I might keep Sheri around for another 5 months or so, so that she can give birth to our next child. Sheri is due in mid to late April.
Names are so freaking hard! Naming Triton was easy because I have loved that name forever. Thinking of another one for a boy or a girl is seeming impossible right now. I like the name Gamble, but Sheri has said no to that one ever since I suggested it. I was relieved that she liked the name Triton and agreed to that name before we had children. If she never agreed to that I might not have ever agreed to have kids?
My cousin Josh who was like my little brother growing up is also going to have a child. It is kind of sad, but I think I was more excited for him having a child than I was when Sheri told me that she was pregnant again. I know part of the reason is that we were trying to have another child. I wasn't that excited when Sheri first told me that she was pregnant with Triton! I am not that excitable as a person. I am calm and I don't panic in the face of danger. Not that having a child is dangerous, it is just my way of defending why I didn't get excited?
Josh went out with this girl from high school on and off and moved to Boise with her to go to college. They broke up and Josh started dating this Kim chic! Just kidding Kim. Have the funniest story about her in a minute though. Well, Kim has two children already. She has two little girls. Josh has been dating Kim for a little less than a year and I didn't know if he ever wanted to have kids, but even if he did, I imagined that he would just be a dad to her little girls and that would be that. I told him that I was so excited for him. I am excited for him because I didn't know if he wanted children and he then told me that he always wanted to have kids. I am excited for him because of the love that grows inside a person after that child is born. I have so much love for Triton that it strengthens all love for everyone. I want Josh to know of that same love. I have no doubt that he loves Kim's two little girls, but the love that will develop with a child of his own will surprise him. I am also sure that the love he feels for the two girls who aren't his own will grow more in the process as well.
I was mega scared to have a child. After Triton I didn't know if I wanted to have another. I am afraid that I might not love this next child as much as I do Triton? That is something that panics me on the inside for sure! I have asked numerous people who have more than one child if it was something they feared and it is probably 50/50. I didn't love Triton first off! It wasn't like the movies and how people say that they fell in love the instant the doctor placed the baby in their arms. I knew that I would grow to love him, but after that first night of numbness I was so scared that I might not. I thought that there was something the matter with me, maybe I was heartless? However, after a couple of weeks, I knew that I loved Triton. After months and now a couple of years I can't imagine people in the world who might never experience that love. I feel sorry for them. I am sure that was the reason I was so excited when Josh told me that they were pregnant. I am excited for him to gain that love and experience for himself.
Okay so funny story, can't remember if I already told it and I am too lazy to go back and read through to see if I had, but it is a story worth hearing twice. I was able to meet Kim for the first time when she traveled to Las Vegas for our National Bowling Tournament with Josh. Her two girls didn't make the trip and I am sad to say I still haven't met them. I did see Kim for the second time on the golf course. Josh, Her and the girls came down for a weekend and Josh went golfing with us one weekend. Kim rode with Josh in the golf Cart. I walked up to her and said "Oh my gosh, you really are Josh's girlfriend!" She looked at me all confused and that was when I followed that statement with this, I said "I wasn't sure if Josh just rented a hooker while he was in Vegas!" She didn't take me seriously and knew that I was joking, but it was still funny. Kim is due a couple of weeks after Sheri, and they are thinking of moving from their city to ours. That would be cool, but I don't have my hopes that high until it is a for sure plan. I would be happy to see him a lot more though. I have loved Josh forever, and still kinda do!

Vent

Well, as many of you know Uncle Henry is the luckiest golfer on earth. He scores over a hundred on Saturday and gets his second hole in one for the year on Sunday. Maybe if I started drinking a case of beer and smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, I might get lucky at golf? His first hole in one of the year was a good shot. Landed on the green after being a well struck shot and rolled up to the hole and dropped in.
Sunday however was a much different story. The wind was blowing about 20-30 miles an hour. We were 135 yards out, straight into the wind. Henry is hitting first and blades a horrible shot right at the flag! I was just hoping for his sake that the ball had enough on it to get over the bunker, because Henry doesn't have a clue how to hit out of a sand trap. With the weather getting colder and winter approaching, the sun is in a different angle and it is hard to see the golf ball in the distance no matter what time of day. After his ball cleared the bunker it hit the flag. The sound of the ball hitting the flag was the only indication that we had that he had in fact cleared the sand. With the ball hitting the flag at that speed it could have been anywhere. Walking up to the green I didn't see his ball anywhere and I simply walked to my golf ball, and told Henry good luck. I wished him good luck because of two reasons A. His ball could have been anywhere and I hoped he found it so he wouldn't have to go back to the tee box and hit again, and B. Because there was still a small chance that the ball was in the hole. He of course doesn't even look beyond the green, and just walks straight to the hole. I don't even think he carried his wedge with him just in case it did fly some 30 yards off the green which was not an unlikely result from the mis-struck shot that he hit. I understand that some people are just plain lucky (Henry), but to expect it and take it for granted is my biggest surprise. I was actually happy for him this time. I said congrats and simply kept playing. After years of seeing his luck, it is just a normal occurrence.
Now, I am not saying that he took this shot for granted. I believe that he was actually more surprised than I was that he found his ball in the bottom of the hole. But, to walk straight to the hole first before looking beyond and around the green is either arrogant or ignorance? You might say it was wishful thinking, but I honestly think he was probably 60% expecting to see the ball in the bottom of the hole and 40% on having to search somewhere else. Had it happened to me, I would have walked around the green first, then half-heartedly checking the hole in sheer hopes that it might be in the bottom. Thus, my percentage would have to be something like 99% sure the ball is somewhere else and not in the hole!
If I wasn't golfing way better than him this year it would have angered me a lot more. It could be that I have toned down my temper just a bit, but it still gets me going on the inside. Henry and I got into an argument last year over his luck, which he still doesn't admit is any better than mine? This one day last year, twice in the same day, he hit a horrible shot directly into the trees only to have the ball end up in the fairway. I bring this up because the same thing happened Saturday. I hit a great drive on this par 5 down the right hand side of the fairway. Henry on this same hole hits a shot 30 yards left of the fairway into these trees. We looked and looked for his ball, he hit another ball from where we thought it should have been(even though he is supposed to re-tee back at the box) and we drive toward my ball. We of course find Henry's ball on the right side of the fairway just 30 or so yards behind my ball! This means that his ball not only bounced forward after hitting a tree, but also ricocheted 50 yards to the right in the process! I was so pissed. Mostly because that crap never happens to me, but he just takes it for granted and basically expects things like that to happen to him. It is kind of like he is Gene Hackman in Mooseport. Have you ever seen that movie? Gene Hackman's character is an ex-President of the United States. He has this golf match with Ray Romano. Well, Gene Hackman thought he was a 10 handicap because his ball always conveniently bounced in the fairway after being hit into the trees. Gene's secret service crew had always been hiding in the trees and would just throw out an identical ball into the fairway. On the first hole, Gene's character hit a horrible shot in the trees but expected a great bounce like he always had. He even says "Wait for the bounce!" However, Gene's disgruntled wife forced her husband's bodyguards out of the trees and into view of everyone so that they couldn't cheat. Ray's character of course stomped Gene's character in the ground because he didn't get these great breaks that he was used to receiving! Golfing with Henry is just like that, but there isn't any freaking secret service guys in the trees! He is just that lucky of a person. I am happy for him, I truly am. However, I wouldn't ever take a minuscule amount of his luck for granted if I were to have it, and he is the opposite. He only thinks he is lucky a minuscule amount of the time? It baffles me to hear him say that I am just as lucky as he is. I could name 5 things off the top of my head that aren't just a little lucky, but honestly are basically unbelievable that have happened to him on the golf course. Whereas he wouldn't be able to name 2 instance of me having a tiny amount of luck? Yet I am just as lucky as he is? Hmm......

Finally

Okay as you can see I finally posted Triton in his Superman outfit that he so loved. He was able to wear this costume of course on Halloween when Sheri took him to his grandparents. I was sleeping on that night because of work. We had no trick or treaters at all, unless they didn't knock loud enough to wake me? Triton was also able to wear his outfit at the zoo on Thursday before Halloween. They had a neat thing setup for kids, it was pretty cold so we just hurried through everything. Sheri's mom went with us as well as her brother, his wife and their two young ones. The lions and tigers were way more lively than they are in the heat of the summer months. I was surprised! They were up and about, even the large male lion. The otters were in the water with pumpkins that I am not sure they were supposed to have, I guess they snatched them from the decorations that were all around every exhibit. Lastly, Triton was able to wear his outfit on Friday to Trick or Treat Street? Not sure what that is because I was again sleeping? He also wore his outfit when we had our league bowling on Friday too.





He us such an angel! Yeah right! There are times during the day that he allows me to take a nap or catch up on some weekly shows that I missed while I had to sleep before work. This is one of the things that he does that keeps him out of trouble. This isn't the position that he is always in, and one that I wouldn't personally want to sit in while watching a movie? He loves watching Cars, Monsters Inc. and also these two dvds of Tom and Jerry that my mom sent me. Those are the movies that he watches on his own little DVD player, if he is watching the big television it has to be Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. That is the first thing that comes out of his mouth when you carry him downstairs from his room. He says "MeaMouse!" He can say Mickey just fine, and of course Mouse is clear as day, but he is having the hardest time stringing words together. Thus the MeaMouse! I tell him I love him all the time. He tries to say it back, but most of the time it just sounds like he is saying "yeah yeah." He is having difficulty with his Ls, and C or Ks. The Ka sound is card for him if it is the beginning of a word. Ls are hard no matter where the position. Fs and Vs are also troubling him in the middles of words. Either than that he is doing pretty good. He only wants to say one word at a time like a caveman, however I guess he might be able to log on and get a free rate quote from Geico? Okay bad joke sorry!

My mom's surgery is today! I am not really scared, just wish that I could be there. I know that the surgery will go well and she will be fine. I just don't want the stupid cancer to return! I hope that us visiting her in a week or so will lift her spirits. My grandma made it there last night so that is nice to know. My mom just called before she has to go to the hospital. Her surgery is in a little over three hours. She called to tell me goodbye because she is the same type of person as I am. I would do the same thing if I had to get minor surgery let alone major.

Fall Back

It is that time of year again when time stands still for an hour and the clocks are adjusted back one hour. It is normally a great thing. Being able to sleep that extra hour! That next day no matter how well you slept always seems so long. This to is also a good thing, because most people don't work on the weekends. Even if they do, they were able to have that extra hour of sleep to prepare for work anyway. Well, that is unless they work the same schedule as me!
I work a graveyard/night audit shift at a hotel. This leaves me awake during the times when most of America is sleeping. I dread working this night for weeks before the actual shift. Everyone is blessed with that extra hour of sleep, while I am blessed with working an extra hour. I not only have to work that extra hour, but I also get the feeling of that next day lasting longer than 99% of the people in the U.S. Okay poor ole Jason, right? Right, enough whining.
Hope everyone had a great and safe Halloween. I will try to post Triton in his costume within the next three days, but who knows since our stupid computer has been delayed from being delivered an extra 2 weeks. Never order a Dell!